LG Xboom Go XG2TBK

Design

• Military grade design
• Handy integrated strap
• Compact size

For a small speaker with the word ‘Xboom’ in its name, the Xboom Go XG2TB isn’t what I’d describe as a ‘fun’ looking speaker. The military black finish with red and grey accents is a solid, robust look.

It speaks more to this speaker’s purpose. It’s not for fun days out; it’s a speaker designed to be durable and meant to last. Wrack the surface with my knuckles, and it hurts a little.

Its rugged look is accentuated by hard plastic edges that aim to protect the speaker against any drops. In terms of controls, the playback and power buttons are easily reachable on the front, while volume control is covered by a dial on the side, which I like. It gives the speaker a tactile feel you don’t normally get when operating portable speakers. On the rear are the Bluetooth and Sound Boost buttons.

The most novel feature about the Xboom Go XG2TB is its integrated strap, which allows you to fasten the speaker to pretty much anything: rucksack, bikes, a tent, or as someone from LG demonstrated, around a speaker stand. It’s versatile and can accommodate anything you think of tightening or wrapping it around.

It shares an IP67 rating with XG8T, making it waterproof, dust-proof, shock-proof and more with its military-grade design. It’s compact in size, making it easy to carry anywhere, and it looks tough enough to likely survive any mishap or adventure you’re on.

Features

• Bluetooth multi-point
• Xboom app
• Sound Boost mode

There’s not too much that differs between this speaker and the XG8T. Bluetooth support is version 5.3 but that doesn’t bring much difference in terms of the Bluetooth spec. There’s Bluetooth multi-point to connect to two devices at the same time, SBC and AAC streaming.

LG’s multi-link feature, where you can connect to multiple other Xboom devices, is also supported. The Bluetooth performance is strong with the test I carried out, conking out just at the end of the garden as I walked away from it.

This speaker also features the Sound Boost mode, which boosts the volume and bass. It only has 5W of power, which is not much in the grand scheme, but it’s all about what you do with it.

And there’s also the LG Xboom app where you can see battery life, adjust the volume, customise the sound (Standard, Sound Boost) or create your own through the custom EQ option. There’s also the option of controlling playback via the app.

There isn’t support for Side Lighting LEDs because this speaker doesn’t have any. And like with other speakers in the Xboom range, you could use the X2GBT for taking calls as well.

Battery life

• 10-hour battery life
• Four hours to charge back to full

LG claims a 10-hour battery life with the X2GBT, though slightly bafflingly on the LG website, it says that figure is obtained at 50% volume and with the LED/EQ turned off – but as I mentioned before, there’s no support for LED lights.

In the tests I carried out with the battery starting at 99%, an hour’s stream at 50% saw it fall to 91% in the speaker’s Standard mode. That’s better than LG’s figures, and that’s closer to 12 hours than 10. The louder the speaker goes, the more likely the battery suffers as a result.

There’s no mention of fast charging and definitely no wireless charging for this little portable speaker. According to LG’s website, charging to full from an empty battery takes four hours, so you’ll want to make sure it’s fully fueled before you leave on your next adventure.

Sound Quality

• Sounds a little thin
• Clear treble performance
• Lacking some bass

The current crop of Xboom speakers I’ve tested haven’t been the best in terms of balance, and with the Xboom Go XG2BT, there remains some of that tonal inconsistency.

The problem is how it sounds in its Standard mode versus its Sound Boost mode. Like the other speakers I’ve reviewed, what sounds good in one mode doesn’t necessarily translate to the other – it lacks a middle ground.

Take Republica’s Ready to Go as one example. In the speaker’s Standard mode, the midrange sounds a little thin and lacking weight, with bass also sounding flat.

Activate Sound Boost, and the bass levels firm up a little, pushing sound away from the speaker. However, it doesn’t sound as clear and detailed. It’s slightly warm in tone, but it can sound a bit brash, too.

And for a speaker of this size and driver set-up (one channel sound from one driver), bass reproduction isn’t the greatest. With GoGo Penguin’s Ascent and Katy B’s On A Mission, the low frequencies sound tepid – bass lacks punch and power in the speaker’s Standard mode.

Jain’s Makeba has the same issue – bass is okay, but this is a track that needs more thump and depth. In Standard mode there’s more of a focus on vocals, which are supplied with solid levels of clarity and definition. When Sound Boost is activated, it gives more presence and energy to the low frequencies and pushes vocals away from the speaker’s body – as long as you’re willing to sacrifice some detail and clarity to get that performance.

The Sound Boost is the more optimal way to listen to music with bass, and it provides tracks with more energy – but as I noted, it’s not always the best for all tracks.

And towards the top of the frequency range, this LG portable speaker sounds pretty good, with sharp and clear treble performance with GoGo Penguin’s Ascent. It can sound a little thin to my ears, but levels of clarity and definition are mostly good.

The soundstage isn’t the widest, but with the tracks I play, the XG2BT makes a decent fist of describing all the instruments and voices without sounding too jumbled or muddled, and there’s some depth that’s hinted at with some tracks.

Play the speaker loud, and vocals come across relatively clear, but high volumes neuter the bass. Turn the volume down low (around 30%), and bass is again sacrificed in its Standard mode – if the volume is low, you’ll want to turn the Sound Boost mode on to get any sense of bass with this speaker.

Should you buy it?